In the book of Exodus, God fills a craftsman named Bezalel with “wisdom, understanding, and knowledge in every kind of craft” (Exodus 35:31) to build the Tabernacle. Skilled hands, the Torah teaches, are not incidental to Israel’s story. They are central to it. Nearly 3,500 years later, that same spirit of craftsmanship is what a small Israeli company called ESEK is trying to keep alive, one handmade product and one struggling business at a time.

Founded in 2024, ESEK, which means “business” in Hebrew, is an e-commerce platform connecting Israeli small businesses with buyers around the world. Its premise is simple: Israel is home to nearly 700,000 small businesses, and after more than a year and a half of war, a significant number of them are barely staying afloat. ESEK exists to help them do more than survive.

How ESEK Works

Unlike a typical online marketplace that simply lists products and takes a commission, ESEK pays its featured businesses upfront. Co-founder Ofek Moscovich, a former IDF sniper-unit commander who later served as an Israeli emissary in the United States, explained the model during a recent trip introducing ESEK to Jewish communities in Sydney and Melbourne. He described the approach as “game-changing,” noting that ESEK doesn’t just list products from its partner businesses; it purchases their inventory upfront, giving artisans steady income and letting them focus on their craft while ESEK handles marketing and fulfillment.

That financial cushion matters. Many of the artisans on ESEK are working out of bomb shelters, rebuilding after military reserve duty, or creating art out of trauma. The platform currently represents around 50 Israeli businesses, offering everything from handcrafted Judaica and home décor to gourmet Israeli food products, all shipped internationally at no cost to the buyer.

Two Collections Rooted in October 7th

Among ESEK’s offerings are two initiatives with particular weight. The first is a reserve soldier collection, supporting businesses run by Israelis who have spent months away from their livelihoods on military duty. The second is the Nova Collection, curated works from ten Israeli artists who survived the Nova music festival massacre. The collection spans ceramics, Judaica, and paintings, and according to ESEK, each piece reflects both the grief of that day and the artist’s determination to rebuild. Every work in the collection comes with a short video profile of the artist describing their October 7th experience and their creative path since.

A Platform With a Larger Vision

ESEK describes itself as more than a store. According to its website, all net profits are reinvested into Israel’s small business ecosystem through grants, loans, training, and strategic investment, meaning every purchase functions less like a transaction and more like a form of ongoing infrastructure for Israeli entrepreneurs. The company, a brand of KeshX Israel Ltd, also accepts direct donations through the American Zionist Movement, an American 501(c)(3), for those who want to support the mission beyond shopping.

ESEK has also begun building an international audience beyond its online store. Moscovich recently ran a stall at the Sydney Jewish Food Festival, offering products like Shalva tea and Kibbutz Erez cold-pressed olive oil to Australian shoppers, part of a broader effort to introduce diaspora communities to the makers behind Israel’s small business economy. The company also runs a WhatsApp group offering a daily roundup of Israeli small businesses that ship internationally.

Why It Matters

Scripture repeatedly ties the strength of a people to the work of its hands. Proverbs praises “a woman of valor” whose “hands are never idle” and who “extends a hand to the poor” even while providing for her own household (Proverbs 31:10, 13, 20). It’s a portrait of an economy built on both diligence and generosity, values that ESEK is, in its own modern way, attempting to put into practice.

For Christian and Religious Zionist supporters of Israel who are looking for tangible ways to stand with the nation beyond advocacy and donations, ESEK offers a direct line to the people rebuilding it, artisan by artisan, order by order.

You can visit ESEK’s website by clicking here.

Israel365 News will continue to follow ESEK’s growth as it expands its reach among diaspora communities.